Faces by SAM Beauty Blog: Product Review- e.l.f. HD Blush

e.l.f. Studio HD Blush Review

From the Brand: Rich and creamy HD Blush naturally sculpts and highlights the cheekbones for a soft-focus effect that is great for everyday use. The Vitamin E enriched formula conditions and hydrates the skin for a healthy, radiant glow. Velvety soft, lightweight and highly pigmented color creates a long-lasting result for all day wear.

Retails for: $3.00

Where to Buy: eyeslipsface.com

My Thoughts: This stuff is so super pigmented, you need to apply it quickly and correctly or else you're at risk of looking seriously clown-like. I chose this bright hot pink shade (Diva) for two reasons: 1- I needed something bright for my kit since everything else I have is pretty sheer or natural looking on average, and 2- I'm in addicted to hot pink in an I-need-a-12-step-program kind of way. I figured the color in the tube couldn't possibly be as bright and pigmented in person for a product that only costs a mere $3.

Boy oh boy was I mistaken! I used it for the first time at a photoshoot for a photographer on a client with skin on the slightly lighter side of tan. I applied it with a sponge, intending to work it into the foundation and build up what I thought would be sheer layers to give a nice flushed look to the skin. Instead, I had to back track and layer more foundation over the top along with some powder to damped down the color saturation enough so that she didn't look like she was having a hot flash. It took way more work than I intended it to, and I still wasn't 100% happy with the results.

All that being said, I was really impressed with just how pigmented and true to color this product is. It looks exactly on the skin as it does in the bottle. This can be a blessing or a curse, depending on your skill level when working with a cream blush product. I'd say this is much more suited for people with an advanced blending technique. If you're looking for something more natural looking, I'd go with the color Headliner, which is a softer pink. {Bonus: During the month of October, e.l.f is donating 100% of the profits from the sale of that shade to Breast Cancer Research! So if you're thinking of buying this blush, make sure you do it now!- Join us in the fight against breast cancer! In October, when you shop HD Blush in Headliner from EyesLipsFace.com, 100% of proceeds will be donated to the Breast Cancer Foundation. Shop now!}

It's taken some experimentation, but I've figured out a relatively easy way to apply this super pigmented cream blush in a way that blends easily. First, you'll need a round shaped makeup sponge, like the bottom of an egg-shaped blending sponge. Make sure the sponge is nice and damp. I use the one that I've applied my foundation with, so there's a trace of the foundation itself still on the sponge. (Just make sure you wash your sponge after applying the blush so you don't end up with a hot pink face the next time you go to apply your foundation!) Otherwise, you'll want to apply a pea size amount of foundation to the back of your hand and use that to put a very thin layer over the surface of your sponge. Next, apply a dot of the e.l.f. HD blush no bigger than a grain of rice to the back of your hand and use a fingertip or cotton swab to spread it out in a large circle about the width of your sponge surface. This will help you from getting a concentrated dot on the sponge that will require extra blending once on the face. Dab your sponge into the cream blush quickly once to pick up some product, and starting at the apples of the cheek bounce the sponge in a line back towards your temples, careful to overlap only minimally. Quickly switch to the side of the pointed end and dab that in circles along the edges and over the surface of the area you applied the blush to blend it and pick up excess product.

Make sure you've got a layer of cream or liquid foundation on first so that the cream will work down into something to help sheer it out and give it staying power. Cream blushes like this don't work very well over powder foundations. You can top it off with some translucent powder or a powder matching your skin tone to help sheer it out a bit more if neccessary.

Another method I've found that works nicely is also to apply the e.l.f. HD blush to the cheek area first with the e.l.f. Studio Small Stipple Brush (again using the same technique of spreading a thin circle on the back of your hand first so that there's no clumps of product on the fine hairs of the brush) and really working it into moisturized skin in circular motions starting at the apples of the cheeks and blending back towards the temples. Follow with a tinted moisturizer or sheer-medium coverage foundation for the appearance of skin that glows from within. You can top with a quick swipe of powder blush if the color has been covered up too much, but this stuff is so pigmented that it usually shows right through perfectly.

The consistency of the cream blush is almost like a liquid lipstick, and Diva has a soft shimmer to it when you look closely but no actual glitter or iridescence. It dries to a nice demi matte finish that looks very natural and doesn't feel greasy or drying on the skin. While it's so insanely pigmented, it's not a stain and won't leave behind telltale splotches on the skin. It's easily removed with the e.l.f. Studio Makeup Remover Cleansing Cloths. It's more easily removed from the face and the back of the hand though. I do notice just a faint discoloration to the tips of my fingers for a few hours until it fades.

Final Verdict: Super super super pigmented and a little on the tricky side to use, but once you've mastered a technique that works for you, this is an amazing blush for just $3!